Snowblind
by JollyMyRoger
Summary: Snow, Charming, and Emma invite Regina over for dinner to make peace, but soon enough the night comes to stand on dangerous ground. A/N: I'm really, really sorry for the feels you may or may not get from this fic.


Snow hummed quietly as she fished the bills out of her wallet and passed them over to Red before she closed her purse back up and took the box of food from the counter. "You're certainly chipper," Red remarked, "I didn't know me babysitting Henry would put you in this good of a mood."

"What? Oh, no. It's this dinner tonight, Regina's coming over and James, Emma, and I are trying to make peace with her," Snow replied, "Y'know, Henry's sake. Just trying to keep my spirits up."

"Actually I think that'll be good for all our sakes, Snow," Red snorted a little laugh, "Have a nice dinner, sweetie, Henry and I are going to watch Disney movies until we pass out on the couch!"

Snow shrugged and waved as she left. In truth she was sick with worry over this dinner, Regina and Snow had been enemies for years, and James had been one by extension ever since he hadn't turned her in at that first meeting, and that same feud was Emma's birthright. She sighed as she paused before the door, remembering the chaos that had happened this afternoon. Her husband and Emma starting telling a story about how all six of the dwarves got drunk and caused so much chaos last Saturday night, time slipped away and then they had to scramble to make dinner and of course the oven broke. Luckily after a hurried call to Granny's the incorrigible old lady had saved their hides by promising a few well cooked steaks as quick as she could, although Regina had showed up early and Snow had to rush off to Granny's in Emma's shoes and James's jacket. Oh well, she was home now, time to play peacemaker and have dinner. Snow pushed the door open to exactly the scene she was expecting, the new table that they had gotten from Gepetto last weekend was sitting nice and set in the middle of the apartment, all the food there and waiting, the places set, everyone sitting at their spot, and so much tension in the air that Snow could have cut slices of it and served them as the worlds most sour appetizer. Joy.

As she walked through the door James jumped up and hurried over to her immediately, taking his jacket and hanging it up then taking the steaks over the table to start putting them on plates while Snow shucked off Emma's shoes. Regina and Emma were discussing the state of the sheriff's office very, very politely, and tersely, and were obviously relieved to have the neutral subject of dinner to bring up. And so passed the most awkward dining that Snow had ever been part of, everyone mentioning the bread or the salad or the baked potatoes Regina brought or the soup or Granny's steak, eyes were avoided, personal subjects not broached until after they had finished Emma's chocolate pie. Even then it was at least five minutes of silence before they started, haltingly, talking about peace between them. It was actually going surprisingly well, at least Snow thought so, until Regina brought up Henry spending time at her home. The atmosphere of the room snapped and suddenly felt like they were standing on the point of the knife.

"I think that him making having, uh, dinner at your home once a week and maybe...lunch at Granny's once or twice a week would be fine, right?" Emma ventured, hoping that they could all stay calm.

Regina stared at her hand for a very long time before replying, "I was thinking he could spend the night occasionally. Say, one weekend a month. I am his moth-"

"No," James cut across her, "Absolutely not. That is way too much time with you." Oh her James, always so protective, but Snow was terrified they just took the wrong step that was going to pitch them off the knife and into the abyss.

"Excuse me? He is mine son. I have every right to see him and every right to want him to spend time in my home," Regina snapped back, her hand closing around the steak knife in anger."

James stood up abruptly, full of brass and protectiveness, "I don't believe for a minute that Henry's safe around you, Regina. Every chance you've had in the past and you always took the path that let to more people being hurt!"

Regina rose with a cold determination, superiority and indignation etched all over her features, the knife still in her hand. "He is my son, Charming, and you will not keep him away from me just because you're trying to recapture raising a child that you missed out on."

"That you stole from us!"

That was the last straw, both Emma and Snow stood up now, Emma grabbing James's shoulder and trying to pull him back, calm him down, while Snow took a step towards Regina. "Regina, please calm down, I'm sorry, Charming's just being protective, you can understand. I mean we just got out family back," she pleaded. Another wrong step. They were going down into the abyss.

Regina's head snapped towards her, her position at head of the table with James on her right hand and Snow on her left had been meant to try and show her that she belonged, but now it just separated Snow and Charming. No one could react in time. Regina's left hand shot forward, palm out, towards Snow and with it came a tremendous force that blew her into the door, smashing her head against it with a sickening crack, blood smearing across the white wood as she crumpled to the floor. The last thing that Snow saw before her world faded to black was Regina's other hand emitting a sort of blue light around the knife as Charming and Emma screamed something in unison. Her beautiful loves were a lot more alike than they realized.

Snow couldn't remember how long she'd been walking. It must have been awhile though, the sun was about to set and she could swear it was the middle of the afternoon when she left. She should get back soon, or she could just call Charming and he could come pick her up. His truck could easily drive up the path and she was almost to the lighthouse, it was a good landmark and he'd know how to get to her. Plus this would give them a chance to have a little time away from everyone and everything. She loved spending time with Emma and Henry, but it'd been twenty-eight years and she longed to spend more time with her husband. She'd also always wanted a little date at the lighthouse, it was so romantic.

She pondered how romantic even five minutes with Charming would be on the top of the lighthouse as she climbed the steps to the top. Even though she knew it should have been a tiring climb, especially after such a long walk, it really didn't feel like that to Snow. Her mind was blissfully clear and her body decided to act the same way, just calm and continuing on. When Snow got to the top she leaned out over the railing and inhaled deeply, she loved the smell of the sea with the sight of the bay. It was so beautiful here, she couldn't wait for Charming to share it with her. The bay was tinged gold from the setting sun and there was no one near to disturb the view with any sounds. Suddenly a wild, daring urge gripped her and, giggling slightly, she clambered over the railing to stand on lip of the platform. Not to worry, everything was going to be fine.

The concrete was cold on her bare feet-when had she taken her shoes off? Oh well-but her feet were sure as she stood on tiptoe and braced her feet against pole of the rails and leaned forward. If Charming was there he would pick her up she would look just like Rose from Titanic, although she was on the other side of the railing. She didn't have to worry, though, her hands were strong and she had a fantastic grip without any gloves to get in her way. Everything was going to be fine.

Wait, Snow though as her brain finally perked up, no shoes...no gloves...no jacket? She looked down to confirm, she had none of those. She was in her light gray skirt and pink blouse, why was she walking all the way out of town without a jacket or gloves or shoes? And her phone was at home. She couldn't have called Charming. Everything was going to be fine.

Sure, yeah, it'd be fine. There was a phone in the lighthouse, she could call Charming there. But why would he have let her out walking like this? Everything was going to be fine. No, no it wasn't. Shut up, she told herself. Everything is going to be fine. Be quiet! Everything is going to be fine. Why-?

Everything was going to be fine.

Oh, oh no.

Everything was going to be fine.

No. Charming was dead. Emma was dead.

Everything was going to be fine.

Oh god no. She was alone. Her True Love, her daughter. Dead. She could see them now, lying on the ground by the table. Charming still had an ugly red splash of blood across his chest, the witch had stabbed his heart. Her darling Emma still had the knife lodged in her guts, one hand on her father's and the other stretched towards where Snow had lain. They were lying in a pool of their combined blood. Snow felt sick.

Everything was going to be fine.

Snow looked out over the golden bay, it's color now mocking her. The quietness pressed in on her like a vise. Everything was going to be fine. She looked down and saw the drop-off below her, the rocky shore a hundred feet under her. Why wasn't the world black and miserable? Hers was. Everything was wrong and why didn't it look like it?

Everything was going to be fine.

She had just left, thinking she needed a walk before she went to get the food from Granny's. Her mind refusing to let her see what laid in front of her, refused to let the cataclysmic pain in. Small mercy, because now that pain made her heart feel like it was being crushed and stabbed. A heartbroken sob wrenched its way out of her and made her very bones ache.

Everything was going to be fine. Her mind tried to tell her that stupid line again, she knew why it did, she knew why her mind was trying to tell her to keep going forward. She knew who her mind was telling her to go forward for. She'd been crying this whole time without knowing it, crying even though her mind had shut down to protect her, crying for her grandson she couldn't help. "Sorry, Henry," she whispered to the wind, praying it would carry the message to him. She let go of the railing and fell out of her misery. She couldn't live without them again.


End file.
